Wheelbarrow



(N0 Model.)

W. H. STEVENS.

WHEELBARROW. No. 264,967. Patented sept. 26, 1882.

Inman/i071 tion of the wheel.

'UNITED STATES PATENT Genion.

VILLIAM H. STEVENS, OF GOLDWATER, MICHIGAN.

WH EELBARROW.

SPECIFICATION forming partnof Letters Patent No. 264,967, datedSeptember 26, 1882. Application filed May 26, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WM. H. STEVENS, of Goldwater, in the county ofBranch and State of Michigan, have invented new andusefnl ImprovementsinV Wheelbarrows, of which-the following is a specification.'

The nature of my invention relates to iinprovements in the constructionof wheelbarrows o f the class known as railroad-barrows, 7 and has forits objeetto combine great strength and durability with facility ofconstruction.

The invention consists chieliy in the construction of the tray and alsoin the wheel, as is more fully hereinafter setV forth, and indicated inthe claims.

Figure l is a perspective view; Fig. 2, a bottom view of the tray. Fig.3 is a side eleva- Fig. 4is a perspective view of the wheel-shaft orgudgeon removed from the wheel.

In the drawings, S S represent 'the sides of the tray, which areconstructed of wood, bent and formed into the proper shape to receivethe bottom B, which is a plate of sheet-iron, and is attached to thesides S S with nails or screws, the ends E E being turned over andattached with nails or screws to the cleats4 C C, which may be ot' wood,and are fastened at their extremities to the sides'S S, giving suppirtand rigidity to both the sides and bottom p ate.

ififiare strips of thin iron, which may be fastened with nails, screws,or bolts to the cleats C C and sides S S, more securely holding themtogether and in place. Other cleats, with or without thesupporting-straps of iron, may be added when it may be deemed necessaryto give additional strength to the tray.

The wheel, Fig.3, is constructed in the usual manner, with the hub andrimof castiron and the spokes of wrought-iron rods, and With awrought-iron tire shrunk about the rim; but instead of a solid hubextending on either side of the wheel, with wrought-iron extensions,forming thejournal on which the wheel turns,

as such wheels are usually constructed, there is a circular opening, O,with a key-seat, k, through the center ot' the hub, formed by setting acore of proper form in the mold before casting to receive the shaft orgudgeon, Fig.

4, which is of' cast iron, and is 'cast of proper size to nicely lit theopening O in the hub of the wheel, and with a keyseat, g, to match thekeyseat 7c, by which a key may be driven to secure it Awhen in place,said shaft or gudgeou having a wrought-iron rod,- r, extending from endto end through the center and projecting at either end, forming thejournal on which the. wheel turns, said rod being placed in the moldbefore casting, and the iiuid metal being formed about it. lt is obviousthat wheels ot' this construction may also be used with otherwheelbarrows than those ofthe railroad variety.

I will now proceed to mention some of the advantages of constructingwheelbarrows with the improvements above indicated.

By reason of the rapid consumption of the timber throughout the countryit is becoming diicult to readily procure timber of sufficient width andexcellence and free of defects from which to construct the bottoms ofthe trays, while the sides, being of much less width, may be morereadily procured; also, there is great waste by reason ot' the checkingand splitting of the bottom boards. Then on account of the exposure` tothe Weather which wheeibarrows are usually subjected to, the bottoms ofwooden trays soon become checked, warped, and split, and soon becomeWorthless, while iron bottoms would retain theirform and would be moredurable and serviceable, while the waste and labor incident to thebending and forming the Wooden bottoms would be avoided. Also,incoustructin g wheels as above described much labor and expense would beavoided, for the reason that the depth ofthe flasks required in which toform Ythe mold for the wheel when cast in sections, as above described,would be so much less than they would when castiu the usual manner, allin one entire piece, therefore avoiding the handling of a much greaterquautityof sand in forming the molds, besides being able to secure more,'perfect results. Then in shipping they could be much more closelypacked by beingrshipped with the two parts separated, thereby securinglower rates of transportation.

WhatV I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Awheelbarrow havin ga tray with wooden IOO sidesand t sheet-ironbottom and supporting cast separately', and with a wrought-iron rod locross-cleats, constructed substantially as deextending through thecenter from end to end, scribed. and with key-seat q to match, to beconnected 2. The combination ot' the Wooden sides S S and secured inposition by a key. with the sheet-iron bottom B and the supportingcross-cleats C C. g WM' H' STEVENS' 3. A wbeelbarrow having an ironwheel Vitnesses: with a bubcast with a circular opening, O, and D. A.SPERRY, key-seat 7c, and a cast-iron shaft or gudgeon E. R. ROOT.

